A French-American meeting took place in the HEC Alumnis offices, for a very special and thrilling conference on the life now with computers. Organized by different groups (Harvard France, HEC International Dev, Stanford club of European leaders) and framed by several meetings like this with different topics, we had an interesting demonstration for the full room within: “the impacts of computers on our world”. Great teasing for tremendous steps, we forgot to remember, as time shifted so quickly.

A new journey for the future, or must I say, our now standard life, since industry, energy and engines shifted to information, digits and computers. First there was mechanics, engineering and lots of complicated, tough and sheer materials. Built with hardcore and efforts, industry was a high rise work, human resourced and driven by process, maps and building lines. Hard times for a craft and machinery environment…Some started to think about another way of building the future, tempted by laziness or innovation oriented, there were large tracks for insights. Insights from the new revolution: digits.

Digits came from the electronic mindset, given into new materials with new growth opportunities. Digits started to shape skills, things, objects and re-create even up to process and the whole chain of building. Then was born the digital era and the computer invasion. From energy engines to information and computers, throughout 4 pillars like interfaces, algorithms, languages and machines, we totally erased mechanics with digits theory and computer science. The simple scope where “you put, you get” is over by the fact that any input in the web right now open the whole world in a snapshot. Breathless, isn’t it?

We never anticipated this awesome revolution, and I think even researchers, at that times, didn’t know what kind of issue it could be. They ignored the whole and extraordinary fields of modernity we could then step into. Even education and physiological parts of brain seem today have changed, with a new ongoing learning, where you can get the answers nearly before the questions. Considering the new race for datas, speed, networks and rates, it will stay a main revolution up to the education system where digital shifted the way we learn: online courses, ongoing lessons and wikis, even our brain changed the way it stores information. While we’re able to have in one click a huge mass of knowledge, how long is it useful to store and hold datas in our brain? This is probably in fact the most visible change with our daily life on tablets, smartphones or whatever screen…How could we stand now without computers?
We saw some thrills about the next wave, were objects will contain their own self computer inside and will be able to stand as some “complex self systems” that will deal with humans, with intellection, interactive and time-real conversation. But you already know where is the “off” button, don’t you?